Blade frame and blade assembly for slicing machines



July 31, 1934. w. E. BETTENDORF BLADE FRAME AND BLADE ASSEMBLY FOR SLICING MACHINES Filed Sept. 2, 1952 W W w 1 mm;

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Patented July 31, 1934 eeann BLADE FRAME AND BLADE ASSEMBLY FOR SLICING MACHINES 1 William E. Bettendorf, Davenport, Iowa, assignor to The Micro Corporation, corporation of Delaware Bettendorf, Iowa, an

Application September 2, 1932, Serial No. 631,513

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a multiple blade and blade frame assembly for slicing machines, and more particularly to such assemblies for use in I bread slicing machines.

Heretofore it has been the practice in machines used in the commercial slicing of baked bread to employ a blade frame for supporting a series of cutter blades inalignment with each other in which each blade is mounted under tension by means of adjusting nuts-and the like. No provisions were made in such prior constructions for placing the cutter blades under uniform tension. As a result of such non-uniform tension ing the bread would not be uniformly sliced. In many cases too much tension would be placed on one or more of the cutter blades which rendered them more susceptible to breakage. In other cases insufiicient tension would be applied to the blades, which permitted objectionable deflection uneven slices.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a multiple blade and frame assembly for slicing machines with means for placing the cutter blades under substantially uniform tension.

Another object is to provide a rectangular shaped blade frame having a plurality of uniformly spaced cutter blades mounted thereon with compression springs for placing each blade under tension, all of the springs having the same characteristics.

' "Afurther object is to provide a blade frame of rectangular shape with means for pivotally anchoring the blades at one portion and resiliently anchoring the oppos'te ends of the blades at another portion.

With the above and other objects in view which will be apparent from the following detailed de- 40 scription, the present invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains.

In the drawing which illustrates a suitable embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a front'elevationof a blade frame showing a plurality of cutter blades mounted thereon, some or; the blades being removed;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the blade frame shown in Fig. l, a portion of the same being broken away and shown in section;

Fig.1-3is a fragmentary enlarged front view of the upper head piece of the blade frame, more clearly showing the mounting of the upper end of the cutter blades;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and a Fig. 6 is an enlarged side view of one of the blade guides. V

In slicing machine constructions used for commercially slicing baked bread and other baked products, it is common practice to employ two series of cutter blades so arranged that while one series is moving in one direction the other series is moving in the opposite direction, and furthermore so that each blade in one series is positioned between a pair of blades of the other series in order that the blades of both series will substantially simultaneously engage the article to be sliced. In order to arrange the cutter blades in this manner two blade frames are employed to 7 simultaneously reciprocate in opposite directions, each of the blade frames carrying a series of cutters.

In my copending application, Serial No. 602,247, filed March 31st, 1932, a construction in which 8 the cutter blades are placed under tension by springs acting longitudinally of the cutter blades is disclosed. The present invention is directed to an improvement on the construction shown in said copending application.

The present invention, however, is directed to new and improved means for mounting the cutter blades on the blade frame in such manner as to obtain proper tensioning thereof.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, the blade frame comprises a single casting of suitable metal'that is provided with upper and lower head pieces 1 and 2, respectively, and side pieces 3 integrally interconnecting the head pieces 1 and 2. The side pieces 3here shown are provided with tapered portions 3 to provide side guides which cooperate with the side frames'of the slicing machine.

The head pieces 1 and 2 gradually increase in depth from the side pieces 3 toward the center in order to give adequate strength thereto. The increase in thickness of metal occurs outwardly of the plane of the ends of the side pieces so that such metal will have a' tendency to be placed under compression, when the cutter blades 4 are mounted on the head pieces and placed under tension, to thereby prevent material deflection of the head pieces.

The cutter blades 4 extend between the head blades 4 are slid into the slots 6 and then moved" upwardly so that outwardly extending buttons 8 at the lower ends of the blades will the recesses 7 and engage the bottoms thereof, the slots 6 serving to prevent ends of the blades. Other well known means,

however, may be employed to hold the lower ends of the cutter blades in position, i

The forward face 9 of the upper head piece 1.,

as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is inclined upwardly" and rearward-1y from the cutter blades 4 and is formed with a plurality of rectangularrshaped, transversely extending recesses 10 therein corresponding to the number of cutter blades. Disposed between the recesseslO near their upper ends is a plurality of lugsll extending substantially at right angles to the face 9 to support the mounting means for the upper ends of the cutter blades 4..

Eachblade mounting means comprises a rectangular-shaped guide bar 12 nested within a recess 10 and having its lower end bifurcated to provide a slot 13 for receiving the upper end of the blade betweenthe bifurcations thereof, the upper surfaces of the bifurcations being provided with, aligned recesses 14 to receive and support the buttonsl5 at the upper end of the blade 4 which is supported thereby. i

The upper end of each guide bar 12 is preferably provided with a shank 16 extending between adjacentlugs 11 which is surrounded by a spring seat member l'l that seats on the adjacent lugs. The shank 16 carries a suitable compression spring 18 of the desired characteristics which seats on the member 17 at one end and abuts against a stopwasher 19 at the other end, the washer being held against displacement'from the shank 16 by means of acotter key 20 The end of the shank 16 may, however, be threaded to carry a nut against which the washer 19 may abut. y

The compression springs 18 are all of the same strength and, when the structure described is completely assembled, provide for a substantially uniform yielding tension in the cutter blades 4.

Furthermore, since the guides 12 for theupper ends of the blades are slidably carried.in the.in clined grooves or recesses 10 and the springs are relatively strong, the blades are very securely but .yieldably held at their upper ends, It is obvious that the blades are held against twisting by the lower lugs 5 and the guide bars 12 which snugly but slidably seat in the recesses 10, thereby elimi nating additional means for preventing blade dist n. V.

The compression springs 18 permit slight flexing of the blades but always return the blades to their proper. position should there be a small flexing, and. place. them under their proper tension; Furthermore, should thebl'ades stretchJin their operation, the springs have suifioientconb pression characteristics to always maintain the blades under tension, thereby tending'toward the elimination of blade breakage which frequently .occurs from improperly tensioned blades.

These lugs are further provided withrecesses 7 in the lower faces thereof. The cutter turning of the lower Although a certain type of blade frame and blade supporting means is shown and described, it is to be understood that the present invention is applicable to other types of blade frames and blade supporting means.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the particular forms of apparatus shown and described, and the particular procedure set forth, are presented for purposes of explanation and illustration and that various modifications of said apparatus and procedure can be made without departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A-blade and frame assembly for bread slicing machines comprising, a pair of spaced head pieces, spaced side pieces interconnecting said head pieces, a plurality of spaced cutter blades extending between said head pieces, and spring means associated with each blade for placing said blades under continuous yielding tension, said spring means including blade guides slidably carried by one of said head pieces and connected with said blades and springs exerting. continuous pressure against said guides, said blade guides being slidable at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of said blades, ,7 I

2. A blade and frame assembly for breadslic ing machines co1nprising,,a pair of spaced head pieces, spaced side headpieces, a plurality of spaced cutter blades extending between said head pieces, means for mounting one end of each blade to one of said head pieces and means for mounting the opposite end or"- each blade to pieces, said last mentioned head piece having a guide seat therein disposed at an angle to said blades, said last mentioned means including a blade guide slidably mounted on said guide seat,

pieces interconnecting said the other r said head said guide being attached to the blade, and spring means coacting with said guide and headpiece to place the blade under continuous yielding t 3. A, blade and frame assembly for bread S? ing machines comprising, a pair of spaced head pieces, spaced side pieces interconnecting said headpiecea -a plurality of spaced cutter blades extending between said head pieces, meansfor mounting one end of each blade to one of said head pieces and means for the oppQsite end oi each blade to the other ofsaid head pieces including a'recess formed in the last mentioned head piece and inclined with respect to said blades, abla'd'e guide slidably mounted in said recess andconnected with the blade," and spring meanscarried by said bIac'ie-guideseating against said last mentioned head'piecefto place-the blade under yielding '-te'nsion, said guide. and recess revis 'cooperatingportions t'o frame; assembly for p a pair of spaced mounting th fop b i end of. each blade to the other of said head means cooperating p y I, one of 'said'head' pieces and means for mounting prevent twisting of said blade relative to the head piece.

5. A blade and frame assembly for bread slicing machines comprising, a pair of spaced head pieces, spaced side pieces interconnecting said head pieces, a plurality of spaced cutter blades extending between said head pieces, means for mounting one end of each blade to one of said head pieces and means for mounting the opposite end of each blade to the other of said head pieces including an inclined recess formed in the side of said last mentioned head piece, a blade guide slidably seated in said recess and connected with the blade at one end and having a shank at the other end, spaced lugs on the last head piece at opposite sides of said shank, a coil compression spring surrounding the extending portion and seating at one end against said lugs, and a spring seat carried by said shank to engage the other end of said spring whereby said spring will place the blade under yielding tension.

6. A blade and frame assembly for bread slicing machines comprising, a pair of spaced head pieces, spaced side pieces interconnecting said head pieces, a plurality of spaced cutter blades extending between said head pieces, and mounting means on said head pieces for said blade, the mounting means at one of said head pieces comprising outwardly extending lugs engageable with the adjacent ends of said blades, and the mounting means on the other of said head pieces comprising blade guides inclined relative to and attached to the adjacent ends of said blades and slidably carried by the last mentioned head piece, and springs associated with said blade guides to place said blades under continuous yielding tension, all of said springs having substantially uniform characteristics.

7. A blade and frame assembly for bread slicing machines comprising, a pair of spaced head pieces, a plurality of spaced cutter blades extending between said head pieces, and means on said head pieces for mounting the ends of said cutter blades, the means on one of said head pieces comprising guide grooves in the one head piece inclined with respect to said blades, blade guides attached to the blades and slidably mounted in said grooves, spring seats formed on the head piece between said grooves, spring means carried by said guides and seated on said spring seats, and means on said guides for placing said springs under compression whereby said springs will exert yielding tension forces on said blades.

8. A blade and frame assembly for bread slicing machines comprising, a pair of spaced head pieces, a plurality of spaced cutter blades extending between said head pieces, and means on said head pieces for mounting the ends of said cutter blades, the means on one of said head pieces comprising guide grooves in the one head piece coplanar with the blades, the bottomsof said grooves being at an angle to said blades, blade guides slidably seated in said grooves and being attached to said blades, said guides also extending at an angle from said blades, and spring means associated with said guides and head piece to place said blades under yielding tension.

9. A blade and frame assembly for bread slicing machines comprising, a pair of spaced head pieces, a plurality of spaced cutter blades extending between said head pieces, and means on said head pieces for mounting the ends of said cutter blades, the means on one of said head pieces comprising guide grooves in the one head piece arranged at an angle to said blades, blade guides attached to but extending at an angle from said blades and being mounted in said grooves for sliding movement, spring supporting portions on said head piece arranged between and transversely of said grooves, said guides having extending portions arranged between adjacent spring supporting portions, springs carried by said extending portions and seating against said spring supporting portions, and means on said extending portions for placing said springs under compression.

WILLIAM E. BE'I'I'ENDORF. 

